Aleppo: Syrian opposition meets with Turks, rejecting Ankara's normalization with Assad

Turkish military and intelligence officials held a meeting with more than 50 military and civilian figures from the opposition-held northern and eastern countryside of Aleppo province on Sunday, where they discussed the tensions in northern Syria that reject the path of normalizing relations between Ankara and Damascus.

Informed sources confirmed to Zaman al-Wasl that the meeting included 51 civilian and military figures from the northern and eastern Aleppo countryside, representatives of the military factions and others from the city’s communities, and tribal notables, with Turkish military and security officials, in the Hiwar Kilis operations room in the border Azaz region, north of Aleppo. To discuss the recent developments witnessed in the region.

The demands presented to the Turks were to “reject any form of reconciliation with the Assad regime,” stressing that “neither Turkey nor anyone else can impose anything on the Syrian people unless they achieve their demands to overthrow Assad.”

On Saunday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.

 that Turkey will extend an invitation to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "any time" for possible talks to restore relations between the two neighbours, Reuters reported.

"We will extend our invitation (to Assad); with this invitation, we want to restore Turkey-Syria relations to the same level as in the past. Our invitation may be extended at any time," Erdogan said, according to a presidency readout of an interview by Turkish media.

Those meeting with the Turkish officials, also, affirmed “the right of the Syrian people to elect a leadership with full powers, since the government and coalition were not formed through elections, so their performance is weak internally and externally, and the revolution cannot be reduced to specific people,” stressing again, “the categorical rejection of opening any crossing by a Turkish decision.” Or regional councils individually, but the decision to open or close the crossings, conclude agreements and understandings, and decide on war and peace must rest with the elected Syrian leadership.”

Representatives from the Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch regions called on “the Turkish government to provide protection for all Syrian refugees in all Turkish states in accordance with the Temporary Protection Law, and to form a joint Syrian-Turkish legal follow-up committee,” explaining “the continuity of the revolutionary and popular movement while emphasizing its peacefulness, and rejecting any acts of sabotage.” for civil and military institutions.

They also called for “measures and reforms that would enhance the true voluntary return of Syrians to the liberated areas, namely (permanently opening the door to visits and vacations, enhancing commercial traffic and operating thousands of cars to transport goods from the crossings to the Syrian interior, activating transit transit for Syrian expatriates, and supporting the education sector.” health, improving the standard of living, independence of the judiciary.”

Those meeting with the Turkish side expressed their “rejection of the coordinator’s interference in the work of local councils, courts, unions, and civil bodies,” demanding “the fight against spoilers, crossing merchants, and those responsible for smuggling to and from the liberated area,” indicating that “the historical and close relationship between the Syrian and Turkish peoples requires the Turks to They have a greater understanding of the demands of the Syrians in the liberated areas, and work to implement them as quickly as possible.”

Turkiye currently hosts 3.1 million Syrian refugees, according to official figures. One of Ankara’s expectations from a possible rapprochement between Turkiye and Syria would be the safe return of these refugees to their homeland.

Some 7.2 million people have sought refuge from the fighting inside Syria while millions more have fled the country.

The United Nations has said that this year 16.7 million people in Syria will require some type of humanitarian assistance or protection -- the largest number since the conflict erupted in 2011.

About 90 percent of Syrians live in poverty, according to UN figures.